Tree Genocide: The Intergenerational Robbery Skipped by the Audit Service Sierra Leone Report

The recently published Audit Service Sierra Leone's account on the Accounts of Sierra Leone for the Financial year 2019 have received many criticisms and spurred many debates, all of which centered on the financial mismanagement and the disregard for procurement protocols/rules.

The biggest surprise (quoting Professor #JosephTuray) in the report, however, is the scale at which our trees are going down. The report states that data from the Customs Department registered a total of *2,202,024.88* (over two million) cubic meters of Timber (valued at USD$5.5 billion) export from Sierra Leone for just 2020. The number is huge. But I assure you the consequences could be egregiously costlier. In our watchful eyes we witness the planet's lungs being cut down. There is no serious crime and robbery than depriving the future generation of this great nation equal (or better) potential to realize their needs. This is intergenerational robbery. Come to think of how many of our trees would have gone by the end of the activity. How many would have gone before we are satisfied (before we raise enough to fill our pockets)!

Now the figures featured in the report only featured timber logging activities and not the several other tree cutting activities carried out daily. We have those going in for boards, wood/fuel, agriculture and farm clearing, cite clearing for construction, and coal burning in a continent that is characterized as 43% extreme desert. We are selling our future for small monies and risk promoting desertification. 

You ask the question where these timbers are going, they say China (Asia) and Europe. But then don't they have forests to cut? They do, but they are preserved and well guarded. They want their forests to flourish in order to serve their future generations. 

We have to move from raw material export to finish product export. No country has grown this way. If you need tangible and sustainable growth you should add value. Invest in infrastructure, education, entrepreneurship, science and innovation. We have been doing this for decades and no progress has been registered. 

What about Bumbuna Phase II? If this carries on, can't we be inviting drought and flooding? Does not this mean we are risking the fruition of the long anticipated Bumbuna Phase II project that's supposed to generate enough electricity to every part of the country and boost business and economic activities?! Are we for real!!

What about Biodiversity!? Are we not endangering the various species that those forests host? Do you think they would stay after hearing the power saw on their doorsteps? How many species are we driving away from those places? Have you thought about the consequences it will have on livelihood and the ecosystem? 

What about agriculture that employs over 50 percent of Sierra Leone workforce? When the rains stop coming, can we afford to go hungry and continue relying on China for staple food import? The big trees are the callers of rain. We soon shall start seeing animality in rain pattern (what we have witnessed so far could be just the beginning). 

But of all that, how has that reflected in the lives of Sierra Leoneans? The cutting down of trees has the potential to destabilize communities and promote future conflicts (conflicts over resources). Come to think of when we would have fewer rivers running through and fewer animals dwelling in our forests. Come to think of when certain regions become deserts and how that will define migration pattern and conflict over resources. 

We should know better as a nation.

What about a report on the progress on "tree replacement." If I am not mistaking, for every tree cut down, three more should be planted. Did the Audit Service Sierra Leone consider that in their report?

If the project is on going, which agency is charged with that? And how much in value are we talking about here. 

For all I know, Auditing service will never be truly complete without giving it other dimensions like Environmental and Social. Monetary figures cannot account for every damages incurred. We need to incorporate other measures. Environmental assessments should be featured in as well as social impact assessments. Don't tell me the Environment Protection Agency should undertake that. In order to mainstream the SDGs, we should feature them in the most prominent reports of the nation. Benchmarking is key. We should be akin to social and Environmental happenings lest we betray ourselves. 

Photo credit: Professor Alhaji U Njai

~Amadu Wurie Jalloh

~The Emmanuel Ivorgba Foundation

~Students Analysts and Writers Network

The Limkokwing University Saga: The Issues

By now many of us would have familiarized ourselves with the Anti Corruption Commission report on late Dr. Minkailu Bah (former minister of Education, Science, and Technology) and the Limkokwing University (Sierra Leone chapter). We may have read how he singlehandedly entered into a deal with the university for its establishment in Sierra Leone (flouting due processes) and eventually committing the government with the responsibility of providing a space for the construction of its main campus and to a great financial burden of providing a scholarship for 1,200 students per year. He could go on to submitt a document stating the number of students to receive the grant-in-aid to the then financial secretary  without indicating the cost estimate for the benefit of parliament who should debate its structure when presented in the national budget. It came out that a single student offering a bachelor's degree programme would receive a grant-in-aid worth up to US$ 3,000; while Diploma students were paid for USD$ 2,500 (triple the amount offered to students across public universities). 

Even after granting an Executive Clearance to settle payment of financial obligations for the academic year of 2016/2017 and 2017/2018 of up to twenty two billion Leones (Le 22,000,000,000), the Government of Sierra Leone (GoSL) still has to pay an outstanding financial obligations worth up to thirty three billion Leones (Le 33,000,000,000) for the academic year 2018/2019. Reasons for delay of payment?: Well,"...fiscal challenges and the unfairness of incurring such liability for few students when compared to other students on government grants-in-aid in various Universities" (Thomas A. R., 2020-- Sierra Leone Telegraph). 

Critics Perspectives:

Several critics have called for a complete shutdown of the programme. They argue that the scholarship is costly (relative to cost of grant-in-aid across public universities in the country); and that its beneficiaries are mostly relatives or supporters of the previous administration, which to them is unfair. Call that pork barrel politics. 

Of course their claims are critical. But we I assure you we stand to lose woefully if we choose to end it abruptly rather than renegotiating terms. As the legal pundits would advise: a man dies with his indictments. So we should be careful lest innocent Sierra Leonean youths pay the price. The primary suspect in all this saga (former education minister) is gone to a place of no return. His indictments die with him. Hence, we should renegotiate terms to arrive at a win-win solution. 

The money spent is not refundable and in fact we are obliged to fulfil payment to the college for the remainder. Education is the flagship programme of this administration. We cannot deny the need for education to promote sustainable development (sustainable as in people-driven development). If we don't educate our youths, we would end relegating them to mere consumers (rather than producers). 

I am sure no one would reject an opportunity to study in a prestigious university on a scholarship opportunity. The youths are not the ones who created the system, in fact they are victims of corrupt system. The system is such that you tend to lose hope in any genuine progress making you believe that the only way to survive is to affiliate with a political party. The abuse and misuse of positions are not new and it's ongoing. We needn't target its victims, but the perpetrators. The youths of this country are almost hopeless and among the most underemployed. 

A Way Out:

Like I earlier on advised, government should fund already enrolled Sierra Leonean students  for one more academic year just so that everyone would be certified. New intake/admission (on grant-in-aid basis) should seize; those in year one should be graduated with a certificate; those in year two with diploma; qualifying students  awarded Higher National Diploma; and finalists be awarded with bachelor's degree. Without these papers, a good number of them (especially those without capital to start their own businesses) would have trouble securing a job. They end up becoming retarded and frustrated dropouts. Deviants are born; self-esteem is dampened; and mental health problems (out of frustration after hopes were raised) are bound to occur. And it will cost society more to tackle these results. 

Another way to address this issue of unfair treatment is making these set of students sign a memorandum of agreement to serve the nation (as volunteers) for a stipulated period of time after graduation (especially those with HND and bachelor's degree). Similar programmes are designed for youths in other countries; and the results are fantastic. The volunteers will have the chance to gain first hand knowledge on practical problem solving (regarding their discipline of study) whilst contributing to community development. 

I would also recommend that GoSL design similar programmes across public institutions and employ these graduates (especially those with degrees) to transfer the knowledge gained (since some of the programmes offered by the institution are new and critical to the job market). This way we can add value into our curricula whilst at the same time invest in the human capital development of the nation for a prosperous nation.

We all have one Sierra Leone to call home. We should not commit the same folly our forefathers and fathers committed. We should learn to take advantage of opportunities that will move this country. Instead of punishing the deprived victims (who are mostly relegated youths) we should emphasize on accountability and support the fight to end/curb corruption.  

#reopenlimkokwing

~Amadu Wurie Jalloh 

Students Analysts and Writers Network

Emmanuel Ivorgba Foundation

Do we need an increase in years of terms of service for a transformative development?

 No!! Length of service is not the reason why some African rulers are underperforming. They simply are incapable and are unpatriotic. 

In fact, you could find fewer countries in Africa where long serving leaders have managed to transform the state. Since 1960 (post colonial rule for most Sub-Saharan Africa) Sub-Saharan Africa has in total got ten heads of states that have clinged unto power for over thirty years. 

2020 is a symbolic year to authoritarian rule in the subregion as it marks more than three decades since Rulers like Teodoro Obiang Ngua Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea, Paul Biya of Cameroon, and Yoweri Museveni of Uganda assumed power in their respective countries (Felter C., 2020).

The following is a rundown of some of the longest serving (or those that served the longest) heads of state in the subregion (this doesn't feature royal leadership) as presented by Felter C. (2020):

1.Gabon's Omar Bongo (60 years)

2. Equatorial Guinea's Teodoro O. N. Gbasogo 40 years

3. Angola's Jose Ed. Santos (38 years)

4. Togo's Gnassingbe Eyadama  (37)

5. Cameroon's Paul Biya (37 years)

6. Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe (37 years)

7. Republic of  Congo's Denis S. Nguesso (36 years)

8. Ivory Coast's Felix Houphouet- Boigny (33)

9. Democratic Republic of Congo's  Mobutu S. Seko (31 years)

10. Malawi's Hastings K. Banda (29 years)

11. Sudan's Omar al-Bashir (29 years)

12. Eretrea's Isaias Afwerki (29 years); and

13. Benin's Mathieu Kerekou (28 years).

Note, this does not include those who served more than the original constitutional mandate of not more than 10 years (the likes of Siaka Stevens of Sierra Leone and Lansana Conteh of Guinea served more than 10 years).

Any Meaningful Impact?

Well, some of us are familiar with the economic and sociopolitical atmospheres in these countries. It's safe to say these countries  are a bunch of underperforming states grappling with economic downturn and political and social instability. Length of service has not in any way helped bring improvement in any of these nations. In fact, there is a greater tendency for countries  with such leadership style to perform poorly in key development indexes/measures, especially on governance, accountability, human rights, freedom of speech,  and economic equality. 

 

Even as the occurrences of military coups  has reportedly dropped, constitutional coups are becoming increasingly widespread in the Subregion. Recent cases of this include Guinea and Ivory Coast where incumbents have managed to amend the constitution to award themselves more time to rule even as oppositions object. The legislature and judiciary have in many instances helped in facilitate that. And the security sector have been key in consolidating their stay in power. Leaders have used force to silence opposition and dissent.

And yet still, AU and other regional intergovernmental agencies have been slow in addressing the issue of constitutional coups. The continent is gradually regressing under the watchful eyes of its hypocritical and self-centered leaders. 

We should be watchful and protect our democracy lest we retrogress without noticing. Constitutional coup is the new strategy.

Constitutional coup is just as worse as military coups. 

~Amadu Wurie Jalloh

Students Analysts and Writers Network

The Emmanuel Ivorgba Foundation

Ethnic Conservatism is nothing wrong as long as it doesn't disturb the peace

  

Africa is home to over 2,000 of the world's estimated 6,000 spoken languages, meaning the continent accounts for 1/3rd of spoken languages. A huge social capital if utilized well. 

UNESCO, however, has expressed fear that if care is not taken, half of the world languages (spoken presently) will extinct by the end of the 21st century. The West African region is set to lose 50 of its languages by the end of the century. Evidences of language extinction are obvious. Many ethnic minority groups have being assimilated by major ethnic groups like Themne, Mende and Krio. For instance, the number of Limba and Loko speaking groups are observably dwindling, majority of whom are now speaking Themne-- the dominant group in the North and West of the country. It's also hard to come across people who speak Vie language (I am not sure the spelling is correct) and other minority groups. Some of our Fula relatives (early settlers) that made contact with the Themnes in the North in the early 19th century also suffered similar consequences, the abandoning of their language- this could result to strained relationship with their fula relatives who would enter the country in later years. They discriminated against each other (many say the later entrants couldn't accrue their predecessors the full trust they deserve). 

But here is one thing you should note about the Fulas, we are a predominantly herding group with hardly any specific homestead or regional origin. Most accounts of us say we originated from Tekrur, Senegal (several other accounts giving us different origins also exist) . Of course we are a negro ethnic group. Our skin colour/tune of our skin is purely African. Being herders, traders, and Islamic scholars, we hardly could settle down in one specific area. Hence, something should be done to preserve our language lest we are assimilated and extinct. A feeling of insecurity (over possible loss of language) surely could strike such a nation, the result is what we see today: a structural phenomenon called conservative/traditionalism enforced through dignification and honoring of conservatism, especially in terms of marriage. Hey, but let no one tell you it has been so all the time. Before now, religion has been used as a criteria for qualification (especially for the girl child). That would explain why so much Intermarriage is seen occuring between the Fulas and Mandinka people (my maternal grandmother, for instance, is Koranko). Today, it's not uncommon to see Fula women given in marriage to other nations, too; the same with the men, many are taking other nations for wife. Islam is bridging that gap (Islam is deeply entrenched in the Fula tradition). 

So the claims about our conservatism is to some extent not true. Yes, true, we mostly emphasize marriage between family members or tribesmen, but marriage intermarriage is also allowed and widely practiced. We however should not make irrelevant the consequences of both choices. Family marriage has its medical as well as its social disadvantages, but to every advantage there is/are advantage(s). 

I can argue that the Conservative nature of the nation has to a greater extent helped save its language from extinction.  Being a predominantly herding group with nomadic tendencies, the group will risk losing its language and eventually cultural tenets if it practices more of Intermarriage than family marriage. The Fula ethnic group, unlike many other groups, hardly have metropolitan dominance to influence other minority groups into their culture. The few strategic locations they have managed to establish dominance (in terms of number) are mostly suburbs or village settings with lesser economic activities to attract settlers, especially the Sierra Leone context. Hence, they are mostly forced into assimilation for business and social gains. That's the case why majority of Sierra Leonean born Fulas cannot speak Fula; likewise majority of Nigerian born Fulas (they mostly speak Hausa Language). You now start to understand why the Themnes, Krios, and Mendes have withstood the test of time to be the dominant cultures in Sierra Leone. Most metropolitan areas are in their hold. As such, acculturation processes would favour them at the expense of minority groups, like the Fula, Limbas, Loko, etc. 

Intermarriage (as within the same nation) is one way to save a language from extinction, especially in our fastly urbanizing societies of today. Every group has right to their identity and belonging. One should feel confident to speak the language their parents speak; they should be proud to be uniquely gifted with a language thay embodies the historical struggles and achievements of their fathers and forefathers. One's language should be a blessing and not a liability. We need to feel confident about whom we are. As noted by UNESCO: 

"Every language reflects a unique world-view with its own value systems, philosophy and particular cultural features. The extinction of a language results in the irrecoverable loss of unique cultural knowledge embodied in it for centuries, including historical, spiritual and ecological knowledge that may be essential for the survival of not only its speakers, but also countless others."

Hence, as suggested by Anthony Woodbury (n.d.), languages are an embodiment of cultural, spiritual, and intellectual life of nation, any alterations to this will directly impact the way such people experience prayers, myths, ceremonies, poetry, oratory, technical vocabulary, unique terms of habits, behaviour, and emotions. The loss of such a culture is mostly accompanied by struggle to fit in properly. For instance, a Fula would hardly sound exactly as a Krio in accentuating  Krio, or exactly like a Themne or Mende in accentuating those languages. When you realize you are not completely English or Krio and are also far lost from your true ethnic identity, you then would struggle to refashion a new culture for your family to make them more socially confident. But in either case, they will struggle more in enhancing the required language skills to compete with those who are truly English or Krio. This is the case of our education system in Sierra Leone, you realize that we spend years in school learning how to speak English, while our Western counterparts spend those years mostly learning livelihood skills or technical support knowledge. In Sierra Leone, for instance, competency is measured in terms of one's level of fluency in English and not necessarily the quality of human capital produced to transform the society.

As Anthony Woodbury would also warn: "Some say that language loss is an inevitable consequence of progress and promotes understanding among groups. But this goal can be met by the learning of second and third languages, not by the loss of first languages. As anthropological linguists have shown in a variety of cases, language loss is far more directly a consequence of intolerance for diversity, particularly when practiced by the powerful against the weak."

Therefore, instead of putting pressure on a minority group to abandon their conservative practice (as in marriage), we should encourage people to learn their culture and maintain their cultural heritage. We also should create necessary sociopolitical atmosphere for languages to strive whilst at the same time promoting intercultural understanding and respect. We should encourage communities to fashion alphabets and symbols to facilitate learning and preserving their language. We should encourage multilingual formation for respect and understanding. You would learn to understand and respect a group (the more) when you learn their language (language is the backbone of culture). It has its social as well as economic potentials. 

The problem of Africa is not its diverse languages, but the bad policies and the lack of leadership. Don't let someone deceive you info thinking that another nation is your threat. Our actual threats are our attitudes, with which we impact our younger generation of leaders. We need to teach our children to respect others; we need to teach them that success is not measured in terms of how many cars or homes you own, but by how impactful you are to your society. We need to teach them to be just and God fearing (not just being prayerful). We need to teach them that the country is greater than your ethnic group and your self desires. We must teach them to be charitable and helpful towards each other. And most importantly, we must teach them to be disciplined and honest.

The Conservative nature of the Fulas is not the cause of our bad governance; it's not the cause for our failing economies; it's not the cause of our bad roads and poor infrastructure; it's not the cause of unemployment or poverty; and it's surely not the reason why we should deny them the right to political franchise and association. Yes we have a people with superiority complex (narrow mindedness), but I assure you majority are tolerant. In fact, over 50% of our people cannot speak the language, which is not bad for the republic. But we also should be mindful of the pressure we exact on minority groups to blend with majority groups. We should think about the consequences to such a group. 

~Amadu Wurie Jalloh

The Suspension of the Periodic General Cleaning Exercise In Sierra Leone and its Possible Public Health Implications

~ By Amadu Wurie Jalloh

Sierra Leone and its West African counterparts are fraught with several public health related issues that literally deserve the same urgency of treatment as Coronavirus, and one of which is environment health management crises.

But just how serious is environmental health management a problem globally?

Globally, an estimated 12.6 million people die annually because of poor environmental health related issues, which is almost 1/4th of all global deaths per year (World Health Organization, 15th March, 2016).  Demographically, the WHO (Supra) emphasized that young children (under 5) and older people (between the age of 50 and 70) are affected the most by environmental risks with an estimated 1.7 million deaths and 4.9 million deaths, respectively. And geographically, the phenomena takes its greatest toll on low and middle income countries (mostly South-East Asia and Western Pacific Regions). Environmental health related complications accounts for 2.2 million deaths in the African Region. Cardiovascular diseases and ischemic heart diseases are the major causes of environmental health related deaths. And the indiscriminate and irresponsible disposal of waste is one among the many causes of this crises globally.

According to Godfrey et al. (24th July, 2019), in other to achieve the SDGs 2030, environmental and public health provisions encompassing sustainable waste management approaches should be given the serious political attention it deserve. As at 2012, Municipal Africa generates an estimated 125 million tonnes of solid waste (MSW) annually-- sub-Saharan Africa accounts for 81 million tonnes (65%). The situation is expected to aggravate by 2025 to 224 million tonnes annually. Unfortunately, only 55% (68 million tonnes) of waste is collected. MSW collection in sub-Saharan Africa only averaged 44%. The remainder of our municipal solid waste could be found in our streets, parking lots, sidewalks, drainage facilities, open fields and rivers as pollutants. Also, it's not all collected waste could end up being recycled or put into some other use. In fact, only 4% of generated MSW end up being recycled-- we have marginalized informal peekes and reclaimers to mostly thank for that.

Sierra Leone is seriously challenged with solid waste management, water, sanitation, and hygiene problems. Blinker (2006) argues that only a small fraction of solid waste is collected in Sierra Leone, with up to 90% of Sierra Freetown's residents relying on on-site sanitation with serious overflowing constraints during the rainy season. The country experiences flooding almost every year, causing serious damages to properties and deaths among many Urban settlers (especially informal settlements). The August 2017 mudslide (partly caused by heavier precipitation level and land-cover loss) and flash flood (partly caused by poor drainage system/blockage to accommodate the change in magnitude water flow) could claim the lives of over 300 people in the outskirt of Freetown. The increase in heavy precipitation during the rainy season (largely due to climate change) is largely unprecedented for, the infrastructure in urban settlements are not well planned to contain the new wave of heavy waters surging from the hilltops and from the mostly tightly arranged/fitted structures in its Urban centers forming from the periphery. 

It was on this backdrop that the government reinstated the monthly general cleaning across the country. The central Government of Sierra Leone spends 3.9 billion Leones every month to keep the project going. The money is distributed among local council authorities with the aim of keeping the urban communities clean and healthy. It's hoped that the cleaning exercise will help avert or mitigate the effect of environmental health challenges. The result are obviously impressive. The country experienced less flooding and environmentally related catastrophes in 2019.

Meanwhile, due to the economic impact created by Covid-19 and the urgent need to redirect funding to the fight against Covid-19, the government of Sierra Leone has since April, 2020 suspended funding to local council to continue the monthly cleaning exercise. But this move will likely have serious health implications if not reinstated, especially so when the rainy season is about to start now.

Less than 40 percent of Sierra Leoneans have access to clean drinking water. Waterborne diseases and hygiene related crises such typhoid, diarrhea, and malaria are some of the leading causes of deaths in the country. The cut off of funding to continue the monthly cleaning exercise means more wastes (especially solid waste) are going to be accumulated in open fields, drainage systems and other spots in communities. This will create a breeding grounds for mosquitoes and accelerate the rate of mosquito bite and malaria. The situation would also threaten to encourage houseflies multiplication and the spread of typhoid and elephantiasis diseases. To make matters worst, as we approach the rainy season, with the recent increase in heavy precipitation caused by climate change, the untended gutters and general drainage facilities would expose communities to flooding and other environmental health crises. The rains will also transport all poisonous substances to community Wells and water sources where most people rely on to fetch drinkable water from.

Given the country's environmental profile (Sierra Leone lists as third country mostly prone to the effect of global warming), the government should hurriedly resume its usual cleaning exercise before the rains increase to avert possible public health crises. We should be expecting heavier rain fall in the ensuing years. Hence, the gutters should be cleared now, landfills be emptied taking the waste to appropriate sites,  and waste collected and dumped at the various appropriate sites across the country be recycled to prevent cholera, malaria, diarrhea, and other hygiene related crises. Though an expensive exercise (given the time), we cannot risk putting this nation into another yet horrific Public health crises when we can prevent their occurrences.

There is no way we can tackle Covid-19 as a public health crises without considering other equally worrisome health risks in the country and the subregion. Government needs to ensure the programme resumes soonest before the rains get bigger (as they already have started coming). The need for clean water supply in the fight against all public health crises can't be overemphasized here. To cut down the tonnes of plastic waste accross the country and reduce the burdens of clearing gutters and collecting solid waste, SALWACO should be empowered. Households should have access to clean drinking water through their taps, and they will eventually reduce buying plasticised filtered water. This can help save lives and government funding.

Photo credit: Freetown City Council

©17/05/2020
®The Emmanuel Ivorgba Foundation
® Students Analysts and Writers Network

References:

https://sierraexpressmedia.com/?p=87478

https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/15-03-2016-an-estimated-12-6-million-deaths-each-year-are-attributable-to-unhealthy-environments

https://standardtimespress.org/?p=8290

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/09/190930214511.htm

https://www.intechopen.com/online-first/solid-waste-management-in-africa-governance-failure-or-development-opportunity

Political Fascism and Patriotism: Civilizational Malapropism

We have a problem in Sierra Leone. A so huge a problem that if not addressed urgently, we shall  never, I repeat: we shall never progress as a country. This problem has established itself in almost all spheres of life in society, and we don't want to talk about it, or (better) still we think it may not have reached that level of seriousness. We have got political fascists to deal with in this country. Yes, I mean political cultists, totalitarians, extremists, zealots, myrmidons, idolaters, ideologues, sheeples, bigots, fanatics, etc. Name it, we have got those people. And you know what, they are threatening to erode our national values of a tolerance, perseverance, civility, love, equality, justice, freedom, and most importantly respect for dissenting ideologies and diversity.

But more worrisome is the silence of our activists and educated youths on the matter. We seem relaxed and careless over the ploy to destabilize our democracy by a few idiots who are on a mission to make accomplices of their gullible listeners and supporters. Make no mistake, you can find such idiots from both the ruling party and its main opposition. Their defensive mechanisms is profanity as opposed to constructive debate. They use obscenities to fray off any critical person. They will so much so pressurize you to make you feel guilty for not being on their sides. Their definition of patriotism?: being on their side (APC or SLPP); violence and not the ballot box to bring about change; bastardizing anyone who questions their gullibility and the people who feed them poison; hating a people (from an ethnic or regional whole) who have no role in your wretchedness. They simply don't want to take responsibility of their blunders. They don't want to acknowledge the fact that they had exhausted their one chance to vote candidates with the wits and moral qualities to represent them and steer the wheel to a brighter future. They now see five years too long a time  to correct their blunders. That mistake of voting in someone you barely knew, some guy from overseas presented to you by your party to love and follow after dumping your best guy whom you knew and are still aware that knows your constraints and have been responding to your needs with the little resources they had.

Isn't it ironic that someone who couldn't stand up against his/her party when they disenfranchised them by dictating who leads them as opposed to their choices would today dare stand up against a whole nation to question the power that be? You couldn't stand up against your party big-guns when one man bulldozed his way unto the top declaring himself winner, and yet you want to stand up against a whole civilization and deny them their peace?

You know what patriotism is? Patriotism is best defined by honesty. We should be honest to ourselves. We should be honest to accept that we brought this upon ourselves as youths. We don't have to make that old woman in the village, that woman in the marketplace, those girls and boys in our homes, and the innocent many whom we should have sensitized, engaged, and educated on how to make a better choice to pay for our stupidity by unleashing anarchy in society. Patriotism is best defined as one being honest in their dealings with their nation; one being honest enough and thoughtful in making a decision that will affect the whole nation; one being honest enough to vote their country and not ethnic or regional divide; and most importantly one accepting their mistakes and protecting the nation from any destructive force (from within or external).

We are the problems were are going through right at now. Even if you did not vote for this president, you sure voted for that member of Parliament who in November 2018 requested for 300 percent increment of their salary neglecting the plight of the over 50 percent of the unemployed many and the other civil servants who are underpaid. You indeed are the one who voted for that member of Parliament who in November 2019 approved the Finance Bill 2020 granting the president, vice president and the speaker of Parliament the privilege of spending thousands of US dollars on oversea vacations without having to account for it (which by the way the president in his wisdom refuse to sign ). Yes, you voted for those parliamentarians who set up a ploy to hijack the speaker of the house from the majority party in Parliament. Yes, you did vote a parliamentarian who until now cannot repeal subsections (k), (I) and (m) of section 77 of the Constitution that allow them to be loyal to their parties than to the state. And most importantly, we voted parliamentarians who endorsed a 12 months (I mean a whole twelve months) Public State of Emergency without flinching a bit. Isn't it ironical for KKY to be complaining about the excessive use of decrees by the government to rule the country in recent times when he was one among the many of parliamentarians who approved a 12-month SOE? Didn't he think it twice to know that was too much a time to allow for a review of the failures, lapses and lessons learnt under such circumstances in order to rectify it in time?

Comrades, I assure you, if we truly wish for a change in this country, we should have to pressurize our MPs in our constituencies to repeal the bad laws; rectify ambiguous laws; and draft bills that can ensure the Independence of the judiciary and the depoliticization of our security (especially the police). If changes is what we truly wish for, we can start questioning the leadership choice of our political parties that do not represent our choices. We should not allow them to impose on us leaders we don't Know, or choose. Change has to start somewhere within us first. It has to start with change of mindset. With a positive mindset, we can change the hierarchical structure of our political parties; with a positive mindset, we can learn to identify our leaders by their deeds and not by what we are fed; and with positive mindset,we can learn to engage in constructive debate rather than being obscene and violent. And most importantly, with a positive mindset, we can learn to accept that as at this time, the whole world is faced with hardship like never before. People everywhere in the world are crying of violation of human right and  a threat to their livelihood. It can be harder for us if we choose violence than constructive criticism of happenings.

~Amadu Wurie Jalloh
©2020
® Students Analysts and Writers Network
®The Emmanuel Ivorgba Foundation

As Covid-19 threatens to increase food insecurity in West Africa, our government should get their act together and face the real threat to public order: Hunger

The Sierra Leone government should at now try to focus its attention to the issue of livelihood and the fight against Covid-19 rather than getting involved into another warfare: a political one. We are already in a more deadly warfare with an invincible enemy, Covid-19 is squashing our economy slowly but intensely, and as things get uglier, it's the poorest of the poor that could pay the highest cost. For instance, according to a report released by USAID on the 30th January, 2018, the 2014-2016 Ebola epidemic exposed the whole of Sierra Leone to a grave health impacts, and aggravated food insecurity problem in the  country owing to disruption of livelihood support activities, decrease in purchasing power and quarantine measures. The report, referencing the United Nations World Food Programme and the World Bank, further expressed that more than 50 per cent of Sierra Leone's population live under the national poverty line; and that, according to the 2017 Global Hunger Index, hunger is very widespread in the country, with approximately 38 per cent of children below 5 years of age suffering from stunting due to severe malnutrition.

This time things may get worst as livelihood disruption and quarantine measures are ubiquitously observed across the world. The IMF has warned that in 2020 the world may experience the worst recession since 1930s with global economy set to contract by 3 per cent in 2020 as opposed to early January forecast of a global GDP expansion of 3.3 per cent for this year.

How Ready is Africa to Face this Issue?

A report by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), indicated that the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic could see the spike in number of people at risk of food insecurity and malnutrition from 17 million to 50 million between the period of June and August 2020 alone. Meanwhile, "nine out of 10 African children do not meet the criteria for minimum acceptable diet outlined by the World Health Organization, and two out of five don’t eat meals regularly...." Annually, child hunger costs Ethiopia 16.5% of its GDP. The rate for Rwanda is 11.5%. The report says “for every dollar invested in reducing stunting, there is a return of about $22 (£17) in Chad, $21 in Senegal, and $17 in Niger and Uganda”, and if the investment is made early in the child’s life, the return rates can be even higher: up to $85 in Nigeria, $80 in Sudan and $60 in Kenya" (Saeed Kamali Dehghan, 5th June, 2019). Dehgan (Supra) further emphasized that by 2050, if things continue as they are now, undernourished, malnourished and hungry children and young people will amount to one billion in Africa; and more than half of African countries are presently off track to achieve the targets required in the African regional nutrition strategy (2015-2025).

Meanwhile, the agricultural season is ushered in this time by difficulty, perhaps more severe now than before. Farmers and producers have already suffered great economic downturn and market structures/system are ever more constrained this time due to the crisis making it difficult to access quality seeds and fertilizers. Agriculture makes up of 30.5 per cent of West Africa's economy, making it the largest source of income and livelihood for up to 70-80 percent of the population (with women in domination).

Oxfam International (20th April, 2020) warned that the impact of Coronavirus combined with the lean season and conflict and insecurity, which will overwhelm the population of the subregion, should be looked into and international cooperation and concerted efforts among states remain the best ways to counter the challenges.  Recent developments in Sierra Leone however indicate disregard for the eminent challenges in the subregion. Political, regional and ethnic divides are becoming more widespread and tangible, and such developments are posing major threat to both food security and  physical security. The pace of politically motivated arrests have seemingly reached an explosive pitch. The country is at crossroads, it must now choose to either stay its course and consolidate its peace and unity while at the same time building public trust in institutions, or divert attention to political warfare and arbitrary arrests that will undermine our ability to tackle Covid-19 before it becomes explosive. We have already started experiencing the wave of disobedience and anger among Sierra Leonean youths, a development that will further increase the fragility of our nation state and repel potential investors. As the UN secretary general Antonio Guterres would warn the UN security council members of other pressing risks to global security from the pandemic: "armed groups seeing an opportunity to strike, potentially with a biological attack; the erosion of trust in public institutions; economic instability; political tensions from postponing elections; uncertainty sparking further division and turmoil in some countries; and COVID-19 "triggering or exacerbating various human rights challenges", we should be concerned with this growing tension reminiscing the cause of twelve years Civil War as is narrated in the TRC report.

In the meantime, the following remarks by the secretary general should be a food for thought for our politicians at this material time: "To win against it and to overcome its consequences we need also to overcome our prejudices, phobias, hatreds, distrust, suspicions,"... And to us the ordinary people: "It's not the time for contests - who did what and who was more successful than others. It's not the time for blaming and finger-pointing. It's time to help, to share experiences, and to listen to each other and find ways to work together."

It's evident that things are rough and almost unbearable, but we can overcome in this fight. The hardship is a global reality at this time. Many people are angry even in advanced economies like the US. We should maintain the peace to save innocent lives and break the chain of transmission. We have few more years to express our anger and disappointments through the ballot box.

The ruling government should learn to from the mistakes of past adminstration and get their acts together to avoid committing the same blunders of the past. Sierra Leone is a fragile state. The judiciary should perform its duty in a free and fair (and independent) manner. Political prisoners (or accused) should be accorded their full right to justice. The habit of indefinite detention should stop. It has the potency to raise tension and anxiety, some of the breading grounds for social unrest.

The government should acknowledge people anger and the effect of the pandemic on livelihood. Efforts should be made to assist or bail out farmers and SMEs to cushion the economic and social effects of the pandemic. And where and when possible, citizens should be supported with food supply to ensure adherence to physical distancing. It could be costly, but a stitch in time can save nine. Lockdown measures should take into consideration the living conditions in the country. We should not assume a  one-size-fit-all strategy in the fight against Covid-19 in an impoverished nation as ours. Transparency, professionalism and equality are key in this fight. The security should be professional in dealing with people in quarantine or isolation units to safeguard both patients and the masses. As a people we should be transparent enough to report cases when we meet case definition. And as a government we should ensure transparency in treatment and response action in order to build trust. And equality in treatment should apply to all. We should not allow powerful or connected people to beat the system and expose the rest of the ordinary masses. We should ensure that the measure and policies apply to all irrespective of social status. Everybody should be regarded as a potential case.

We can overcome!

© Amadu Wurie Jalloh
®The Students Analysts and Writers Network
®The Emmanuel Ivorgba Foundation

Refs:

(https://reliefweb.int/report/sierra-leone/sierra-leone-food-assistance-fact-sheet-january-30-2018)

(https://www.oxfam.org/en/press-releases/covid-19-50-million-people-threatened-hunger-west-africa)

(https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/global-development/2019/jun/05/nearly-half-of-all-child-deaths-in-africa-stem-from-hunger-study-shows)

(https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2020/04/chief-warns-coronavirus-threatens-global-peace-200410062544018.html)

Photo credit: anonymous (Said to have taken in northern Congo


Disclaimer: the above photo does not indicate what country it was taken.